Marking machine



May I5, 1925. Y 1,536,184

F, AHLBRG ummm CHINE A 4 lBSheets-Sheet 1 INV-ENTOR FRAN/r AHLBUEG.

Y ATTORNEY Patented May 5, 1925.

UNITED ISITATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK AHLBURG, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRIC FRUIT MARKING C0., 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

MARKING MACHINE.

Application led November 14, 1921. Serial No. 514,958.

To all whom t may concer/n.

Be it known that I, FRANK AHLBURG, a citizen of Germany, and a resident of Los An eles, county of Los Angeles, and Stateof alifornia, have invented a new and useful Marking Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means lfor markf My invention possesses other objects and j features of ,advanta e, somel of which, -with set forth in the folinvention. It is 4o not limit myself the fore oing, will lowing escription of m to be understood that I i to the showing made by the said description,

as I mayadopt variant forms of my mvention within the sco e of the claims.

Referrin tothe rawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the nut marking machine of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of two units of my marking machine. Fig. 3 is avertical sectional view,- the plane of the section being indicated by the line 3-3 of Fi 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively,

lan l van side elevation of a link in the feedIlielt comprising part of my machine. Fig. 6 is a. side elevation of the counter-balancing means for adjusting the pressure of the dies on the nut. r f

In general terms th-e marking machine off my invention comprises a conveyor for carr ing the nuts to'A be marked under the mar 'ng means. The marking means wmprises a succession of dies resiliently mount` ed ona flexible endlessbelt. Movement of the nut carryin conve or 'brings each nut under' the end gf the flexible. marking belt which gravitall is being marke AMeans are provided for rotating the marking belt at a faster s eed than the carrier belt, which results in ro ling the nut under the die. Means are also pro- `vided for varying vthe eileotive weight of the marking means so Vthat the pressure of the diesY onn the nut may be 'regul Synchronism is secured rests upon thenut as it ated. Means-are also provided for inking the dies j and for supplying a succession of nuts to the carrier belt.

More 'particularl my device comprises frame 2 upon w ich the mechanism is mounted. Mounted on shafts 3 and 4 journaled in the frame are drums 6 amd 7 respectively. These drums are formed with annular grooves arranged in pairs as shown in Fig. 3 and in each pair of grooves are arraned belts 8 preferabl formed of rub. ber. he belts are rounde on the outer surface and vary at regular intervals in the size of the cross section so that the two belts of each pair have alined'recesses which together provide pockets in which the nuts 9` to be marked may lie. In the drawings I have shown but two units of the marking -machine but it will be obvious that the drums 6 and 7 may be made of any desired length so as to accommodate as many pairs of carrier belts as desired, each` pair carrying a succession of nuts to the marking mechanism.

'carrier belts 8 are driven in s nchronism so that nuts from the pockets in t e links 13 fall into the ockets of the marking conve or. by fixing sproc ets 14 ofequal size on each of the shafts 4 and 11. A chain 16 encircles these sprockets and sprockets 17. The shaft 4 is rotated by connection with the motor 18 thru chain or belt 19.

Means are provided for filling the pockets of the feed conveyors with nuts. Arranged adjacent 'the outer end of the feed conveyors` is a broad belt 21 upon whichthe nuts to be marked are dumped by hand Interposed between the downward turn of this broad .feed belt and the lower end of the feed conveyors are deflectors 22 alter.

lnated with short chutes 23. As the nuts are the turn of the feed 'belt they fall into the ,chutes land are carried over necessarily feed conveyor. Should more than one nut fall into the same chute, the lower one is picked up, the next one falling into the pocket behind. O f course the quantity of nuts placed on the feed belt 21 is controlled by the capacity of the feed conveyors.

Means are provided for marking the nuts while on 'the marking conveyor. Loosely mounted on the shaft 26 journaled in the upper part of the frame are a number of frames 27 which are made adjustable in length by means of lapped ends secured. by bo-lts 28. The mounting of the frame 27 upon the shaft 26 is effected by means of a yoke 29 between the arms of which a pulley 31 is fixed to the shaft 26. The lower end of the frame 27 is also provided with a yoke 32 in which the pulley 33 is journaled on the shaft 34 fixed in the yoke. An adjust-. able stop is provided for limiting the downward movement of the outer endof the frame about the axis of the shaft 26, and comprises an arm.35 extendin outwardly under the projecting end of t e shaft 34. The arm 35 is pivotally mounted on the frame 2 and is provided with' an adjusting arm 36 the position of which is controlled b the adjusting screw 37. There is a frame 27 mounted d1rectly above each marking conveyor or pair of carrier belts 8 and, as shown inl Fig. 2, one stop arm 35 'may be arranged between each two frames.

The lower pulley 33 is faced with a s onge rubber rim 38, and a thin flexible be t 39, preferably of rubber, is disposed upon the pulleys 31 and 33 of each frame. Closely spaced on each belt 39 are the dies 41 for marking the nuts. The belt 39 is rotated in the same direction as the marking conveyor 8 and preferably at higher speed so that when the belt 39 engages the nuts on the marking conveyor, the nuts are rolled under two or more of the dies. Because of the flexible nature of the marking die belt and because of the deformable nature of the rim 38 over which the marking belt runs when-the dies are in contact with the nuts, a complete contact of all portions of the die 1s secured on the face of the nut.

Since thenut is rolled between the die belt and the supporting belts 8, each nut will be marked by two or more of the dies, and no matter how uneven the surface of the nut may be there is bound to be at least one clear impression. The shaft 26 is driven by a gear 42 mounted for rotation with the sprocket 17 and of such size as to give the desired ratio of speed.

Means are provided for varying the Weight or pressure exerted by the marking belt upon the nuts. Each yoke 29 is provided on one side with an extension on which is rotatably mounted a collar 43. A set screw 44 provides means for fixin the collar to the voke extension. Slidab y mounted in the collar 43 is a rod 46 carrying a counterbalancing weight 47 on its outer end. A set screw 48 provides means for fixin the position of the rod 46 in the collar. It will be observed that by varying the position of the weight 47, by means of the two set screws 44 and 48, the pressure of the dies upon the nuts may be varied as conditions require. If the weight is in the position shown in Fig. 1 part of the weight of the frame 27 and the pulleys and marking belt is counterbalanced and the unbalanced weight determines the pressure exerted upon the nuts. If the weight 47 were shifted to the opposite side, its weight would be added to the weight of the frame and allied parts so that the pressure upon the nuts would be materially increased.

Because ofA the pivotal mounting of the marking belt, no grading of the nuts for size is necessary before they are marked and the same pressure is exerted upon each nut irrespective of its size.

Means are provided for inking the dies. Arranged in the upper end of the frame 2, adjacent the shaft 26, is a reservoir 51 for the marking ink in which a feed roller 52 is adapted to rotate. A transfer roller 53 is interposed between the feed roller and the dies and as the belt 39 moves, the dies are brought into engagement with the feed roller which is rotated thereby and deposits ink thereon.

I claim:

l. In a marking machine, a conveyor for the articles to be marked, a flexible belt gravitally engaging I'said articles, flexible dies on said belt, a pulley of resilient material for supporting said belt while engaged with said articles, and means for moving the belt in time with the conveyor.

2. In a marking machine, a conveyor for the articles to be marked, a belt gravitally engaging said articles, dies on said belt, and means for moving the belt faster than the conveyor.

3. In a marking machine, a conveyor for vthe articles to be marked, a belt gravitally engaging said articles, dies on said belt, means for moving the belt in time with the conveyor, and means for varying the pressure of said belt upon said articles.

4. In a marking machine, .a belt gravitally engaging the articles to be marke dies on said belt, means for feeding said articles to said belt, and a pulley of resilient material a for supporting said belt while engaged with said articles.

5. In a marking machine, a belt ravitally engaging the articles to be marke dies on said belt, means for feeding said articles to said belt and means for varying the pressure of said belt on said articles. A

6. In a marking machine, a shaft, a pulley on said shaft, a frame pivoted about said shaft, a second pulley of resilient material arranged in said frame, a flexible belt about said pulleys, flexible dies on said belt, and means for Vfeeding articles to be marked into engagement with said belt.

7. ln a marking machine, a shaft, a pulley on said sha-ft, a frame pivoted about said shaft, a second pulley arranged on the outer end of said frame,a belt on said pulleys, dies on said belt, an arm on said frame, an adjustable counterweight on said arm for Varying the gravital thrust of said second pulley, and means for feeding articles 'to be marked into engagement with said belt under said second pulley.

2%. ln a marking machine, a pivctally mounted 'rame,'pulleys on Asaid frame, a

belt on said pulleys gravita-lly engaging the articles to be marked, dies on said belt, means for varying the gravital thrust of y said frame, beltl and dies upon said articles,

and means for feeding articles to be marked under said belt.y

9. In a marking machine, a pivotally mounted frame, pulleys on said frame, a

belt on said pulleys gravitally engaging the articles to be marked, diesen said belt, a conveyor having pockets therein for moving articles to be marked below said belt,

and means for placing a succession of said articles in said pockets.

ln testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand.

' FRANK HLBURG. 

